dinner

Ham And Vegetable Fried Rice

At the end of this week I was working on the last of our Easter ham and originally thought that the idea of putting it in a fried rice was a little odd.  But this wound up being a really tasty dinner and one that comes together pretty quickly.

Ham and Vegetable Fried Rice | Hottie Biscotti

This recipe from The Food Network was the one I followed, changing up a few things here and there.  I used less vegetable oil and added some sesame oil, added more vegetables and added some plain soy sauce and Soyaki sauce from Trader Joes.  Since no two people like their stir fries exactly the same, you can change up the vegetables and the amount and type of extra sauce you use.  When I served this I put a bottle of soy sauce on the table and Ben added a little more to his while I was happy without it.  Serving this with a bottle of sriracha as well wouldn’t be a bad idea if you want some heat.

Ham and Vegetable Fried Rice | Hottie Biscotti

A wok is ideal for cooking a stir fry, but you can use a large skillet.  This wok is a cheap one from IKEA and has served me well for the last couple of years.  Make sure to prep everything ahead of time.  Cut all the vegetables and meat, whisk the eggs, and have the rice ready to add the pan.  Once you start cooking a stir fry it comes together fast, and you don’t want to get flustered or burn something while you grab something you’ve forgotten.

Ham and Vegetable Fried Rice | Hottie Biscotti

This is a little bit of a cheater stir fry since you’re using a bag of frozen veggies instead of fresh, but it sure does help shave off some prep time!  And it’s still better for you than ordering take-out.  Enjoy.

Ham and Vegetable Stir Fry

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
  • 5 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
  • 3 cups cooked, chopped ham
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
  • salt
  • 1 16-ounce bag frozen stir fry vegetables
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3-4 cups cooked Jasmine rice
  • soy sauce to taste
  • Soyaki sauce to taste

Directions

  1. Heat wok or skillet over high heat, add in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoon of sesame oil.  Add in ham and cook, stirring or shaking pan occasionally, until ham is lightly browned.
  2. Add in the chopped onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.  Then add in the garlic, ginger, and the whites of the scallions and a pinch or two of salt.  Stir fry for about 1 minute.
  3. Add in the frozen vegetables and stir everything together, then cover for 1-2 minutes.  Stir again until vegetables are just about defrosted.  Transfer everything to a large bowl.
  4. Wipe the pan clean, then return to medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon each vegetable and sesame oil to the pan.  Add in the eggs and scramble until almost set.  Remove from the pan to the bowl with the vegetables and ham.
  5. Wipe the pan clean and return to high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons sesame oil.  Add the rice and break up any large pieces.  Let cook without stirring for 2 minutes, then add in the vegetables, ham and eggs.  Cook everything together and add some of the soy and/or Soyaki sauce to taste.  I added almost a tablespoon of each.  Serve.

 

Deep Dish Sausage & Bacon Pizza

There are some great food blogs out there, and with a mere 39 food blogs in my Feedly I know that I haven’t even scratched the surface.  I keep discovering new ones and it’s so much fun to see the yummy and creative things people come up with and the amazing photos people take of their food!  It’s both inspiring…and a little frustrating!  Where do you find the time to make a meal in the middle of the day and photograph it so it looks beautiful?!

I came across Seasons and Suppers a few months ago and it never disappoints.  The recipes always look and sound delicious.  While some are totally approachable, others are those I plan to just drool over from afar rather than attempt myself.  But this recipe for deep dish pizza was something I knew I had to try.

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This pizza crust is crazy delicious and has a terrific chew thanks to the cornmeal.  I didn’t make the pizza sauce from the original recipe, but plan to sometime!  It seems simple and delicious.  I used the sausage and bacon called for in the original recipe, but you could use any toppings (I guess they’re more like fillings in a pizza like this) that you like.  Jennifer says to add a layer of pepperoni for a meatier pizza…genius.

I wouldn’t bake this ahead of time, it’s best right out of the oven, bu there are some things you can do to make dinnertime less stressful.  Cook the bacon and the sausage and slice the cheese (if you need to) earlier in the day and store in the refrigerator.  You can also do those things while the dough is rising.

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I topped our slices of pizza with some fresh basil and a little extra parmesan.  Paired with a green salad you have a dinner that won’t disappoint.  Unless someone you’re serving doesn’t like pizza, in which case I’d reconsider your friendship…but not really…but maybe.

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Check out Seasons and Suppers, you will not regret it.  Thanks for the recipe, Jennifer!

Deep Dish Sausage & Bacon Pizza

From Seasons and Suppers

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3/4 cup warm water (about 100°F)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Pizza

  • 12 ounces Italian sausage, cooked and drained
  • 4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 14 ounce jar of pizza sauce (or make your own)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan for topping, at least 1/2 cup, plus a little extra
  • Freshly chopped basil for garnish

Directions

Dough

  1. Combine warm water, yeast and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl.  Mix together then let sit for 5 minutes until it’s foamy.
  2. Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook.  Combine 1 cup of the flour with the cornmeal and sugar in the bowl of the mixer.  Add in the yeast mixture and stir on low to combine.  Stir in the oil.  Add in remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Oil a large bowl, then transfer the pizza dough to the bowl, cover with a clean towel and allow to rise for about an hour.

Pizza

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
  2. Grease a cast iron skillet with olive oil, then lightly dust with cornmeal.
  3. Flour a clean work surface and dump out the pizza dough.  Knead a little to bring it together in a nice ball.  Then roll it out in a circle just larger than your skillet.  Fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the skillet.  Tuck excess dough underneath or trim it off.
  4. Cover the bottom of the pizza with a layer of mozzarella cheese, but don’t use it all.
  5. Layer the sausage and bacon next, followed by the rest of the mozzarella.
  6. Pour the pizza sauce on top, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
  7. Bake the pizza, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes check the crust, if it is getting too dark, then cover the pizza with foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more.
  8. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing or removing from the skillet to a cutting board to slice.
  9. Serve sprinkled with some fresh basil and extra parmesan.

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

I’ve debated over whether or not to post this recipe for some time.  And some of you are going to roll your eyes and turn up your noses at me.  But this is seriously one of the most delicious and easiest meals I’ve ever made, and one that gets the husband (and myself, to be completely honest) super excited about dinner.  A friend of mine made this for me back in college, and someone brought it to us when Betsy was born.  You might already know about the wonders of this casserole yourself and have a recipe that you like.  I’ve tried several and after some tweaking here and there I found this one to be our favorite.

This casserole is great when you don’t have a ton of time but still want something home cooked.  I know, some of you will argue that it’s not really cooking.  And you can go right on ahead and judge me, but I’m sticking to my guns here and telling you that this is really good.  Just close your eyes while you’re mixing it up…

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The ingredient list for this casserole is short and sweet.  I typically use a rotisserie chicken (1 whole chicken is just about right) but you can use leftover chicken from another meal if you’d like.  If the chicken you use is flavored in any way that flavor will really come through.  I made this once with leftover grilled chicken that we’d marinated in Italian dressing and it was very different in flavor than when I’d used poached chicken or a rotisserie chicken.

Now you’re going to cringe, but all you need other than the chicken is a can of cream of chicken soup (I like to use reduced sodium) a 16 ounce container of sour cream (low fat is fine) a sleeve of Ritz crackers, poppyseeds and a few tablespoons of butter.  Just go with me on this one.

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You can bake this in any dish, but I prefer one that isn’t too big and isn’t too small.  An 11×7 casserole dish is what I usually use.  An 8×8 is fine, but then the chicken and cracker layers are thicker.  If you use a 9×13 the layers will be very thin.

I always serve this with white rice.  You could use brown.  I’m sure it would be wonderful and add more heartiness to the meal.  I’ve just always used white, and so that’s what I will probably always use.  Creature of habit.

And I always serve this with steamed broccoli.  Not sure what it is I love about the combination, but getting a little sauce from the chicken onto a piece of broccoli isn’t at all bad.  Green beans, asparagus, carrots, all good options.  I will continue to serve it with broccoli.  Again, creature of habit.  Whatever side you serve, make sure it has some color.  Color typically means more nutritional value, and if you serve this with steamed cauliflower you’re serving a super neutral colored meal, which isn’t quite as lovely on your plate.

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After baking you have a creamy casserole with a terrifically crunchy topping with just a touch of sweetness from the poppyseeds.  This is a comfort food for me.  I know the thought of cream of chicken soup and 2 cups of sour cream is hard to handle, but please, please make it.  You will not be sorry.  You might even thank me.

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Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 3-4 cups of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded into fairly large pieces
  • 1 can of cream of chicken soup, reduced sodium
  • 1 16-ounce container of low fat sour cream
  • 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
  • 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
  • 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
  • cooked white rice for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray an 11×17 or 8×8 inch dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl combine chicken, cream of chicken soup and sour cream.  Mix well then spread into prepared dish.
  3. In a large zip top bag crush crackers into pieces, then pour in poppyseeds and butter.  Seal bag and then toss around until everything is mixed well.
  4. Spread cracker mixture evenly on top of the chicken.
  5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.
  6. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

 

Cornmeal Crusted Baked Green Chile and Jalapeno Jack Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Sometimes I see recipes on Pinterest that look amazing, and I pin them, but with no real intention of ever actually making them.  But this one I found, pinned and made in the same day.  It was pretty wonderful and easily adapts to what you have, what you like and what you need.  The original recipe, found here at Lady Behind the Curtain, makes 6 servings.  I made 3 servings, enough for a couple for dinner and leftovers for me for lunch the next 2 days.  You can easily make this meal to serve 1 or a dozen.  And whoever you serve will be pleased.

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I hate taking pictures of food in my kitchen when it’s already dark out.  I’ve probably lamented about this before, but it really is discouraging.  Natural light is a photographer’s best friend, especially when food is involved.  I’m not a photographer, by the way.  I’d imagine a real photographer would’ve made this look less…strange…and much more appetizing.  But please believe me when I tell you that this is a really tasty and satisfying meal, despite my not so amazing photograph.

Pounded chicken breasts are wrapped around jalapeno jack cheese, green chile and cilantro, dredged in seasoned corn meal and baked, topped with more cheese, then drizzled (or drenched if that’s more your style) in enchilada sauce, and if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkled with some crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro.  The chicken turns out moist, the green chile and cheese in the center is really delicious and the corn meal crust is crunchy and delicious.  I used this taco seasoning recipe from Alton Brown.  It will likely become the only taco seasoning I use from now on.  Not because I dislike packaged seasoning and all the unknowns it carries, but because it is just really good.  More flavor from spices and less from the salt when you make it yourself I think.  I highly recommend giving it a try.  You likely have all the ingredients in your pantry.  Here is the link.

If you’ve already gone over to the original recipe and looked at the ingredients you might notice that I’m using more cheese, but making half the amount of food.  It’s not a mistake.  I like cheese and using half an ounce of cheese in one chicken breast made me sad.  I want to cut into the chicken and have melting cheese ooze out.  That is not going to happen with such a small amount of cheese.  Although a smaller amount of cheese is definitely the healthier way to go!  Go ahead and be smart and portion conscious if you want to be, but you might regret it just a little.  I made the original amount of cornmeal crust because I am of the mind that it’s better to have more than you need than not enough.  I did have some left over, but the chicken breasts I had were large and I’m glad I didn’t cut the amount in half, I wouldn’t have had enough.

To change this to suit your taste use a different type of cheese, whatever you like or have, white cheddar, colby jack, etc. You could also use a different type of enchilada sauce, green, mild, hot, etc.  And again, this is easily adapted to suit the number of people you need to serve.  Eat up and enjoy!

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Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with Green Chiles and Jalapeno Jack Cheese

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 ounces of jalapeno jack cheese, cut into 1 ounce slices + 1-2 extra ounces shredded cheese for topping
  • 2 whole green chiles, sliced in half lengthwise (I used whole canned green chiles and froze what I did not use in a zip top bag.)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (again, this one is amazing!)
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1 egg
  • red enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade)
  • crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Whisk egg in a wide shallow bowl, set aside.
  3. Whisk cornmeal and taco seasoning together in a wide shallow bowl, set aside.
  4. Pound each chicken breast to 1/8 inch thickness (pound between layers of plastic wrap or wax paper) and lay each out on your work surface.
  5. Lay one slice of green chile in the center of each chicken breast.  (You’ll have a slice leftover if you’re making 3, so either add it to one of the breasts, or cut it into 3 pieces and add one to each breast.)
  6. Place a slice of cheese on top of the chile, followed by a sprinkle of cilantro.
  7. Roll up the chicken.  Dip into the egg to coat, then into the cornmeal to coat.  Place into the baking dish, seam side down.
  8. Repeat with all of the chicken breasts, then bake for 25-30 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the extra shredded cheese.
  9. Warm the enchilada sauce in a small saucepan.  Drizzle sauce over the chicken after is comes out of the oven and sprinkle with more cilantro and queso fresco if desired.

 

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions

The more I cook, the more I realize how much I absolutely love cooking comfort food.  And eating comfort food.  I really love eating comfort food.  And I’ve been doing a lot of it lately. This meatloaf has been one of our favorites.

baconmeatloaf

Covering your dinner with bacon can’t be a bad thing.  This meatloaf is covered in 10 strips of bacon which give it great flavor and create a great slicing guide.  I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, my go-to for comfort food.  Try her pot roast!  It makes me smile just thinking about it.  The only change I made to this meatloaf was to add some caramelized onion.

I’ve made this twice now.  The first time I followed the recipe exactly, but felt that the bacon was kind of soggy.  So the next time I baked the meatloaf without the sauce at the beginning of the cooking time at an attempt to crisp it up a little before putting the sauce on.  I think it was better, not so much that I could definitely tell a difference but enough that I will do it that way in the future.  Either way the bacon is a great addition and makes this meatloaf spectacular.  It would still be good without the bacon, so leave it out if you must.

I don’t have a roasting pan.  Not sure why.  I should probably get one.  So I baked the meatloaf on a shallow baking pan lined with parchment.  It releases a lot of juice, so I soaked it up with paper towels after it came out of the oven.  I can see why a roasting pan would be helpful, but don’t fret if you don’t have one.  You don’t need it.

This would easily feed 8 people, possibly 10.  Ben and I can easily make 3 meals out of it.  Sliced for dinner the first night, then meatloaf sandwiches for lunch or dinner a couple of times.  Few things can beat a meatloaf sandwich on some soft white bread.  Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 6 slices white bread
  • 2 pounds ground beef (I used 1 pound of 85/15 and 1 pound of 93/7)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup minced Italian parsley
  • 4 whole eggs, beaten
  • 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon

Sauce

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions

  1. Caramelize the onion: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and drizzle of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add the sliced onion and stir the onion to coat with butter.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and a generous pinch of sugar.  Let cook, stirring occasionally and monitoring the heat so the onions do not burn, 10-15 minutes.  Onions should be brown and soft.  If the onions begin to crisp and burn and there is no moisture left in the pan, add a few teaspoons of water.  Remove from the pan from the heat and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.
  3. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, onion, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.
  4. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)
  5. Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
  6. Cook meatloaf for 15 minutes.
  7. While the meatloaf is cooking, make the sauce: stir together ketchup, brown sugar and mustard in a mixing bowl. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

 

Cheryl’s Chicken Fried Steak

This was not restaurant style chicken fried steak with the thick, crunchy exterior and white cream gravy.  This chicken fried steak had a thinner crust and the gravy was not the thick white kind with specks of peppercorns that I am used to.  The gravy I made has a thinner consistency and a darker caramel color with specks of thyme.  So, this is not exactly what you get when you order chicken fried steak at Lone Star Cafe like I remember getting as a kid.  I remember it looking something like this.I always ordered the kids meal version, or a half order, but it always came out looking huge and daunting.  Somehow I managed to scarf down every bit along with the buttery Texas toast which I used to sop up the extra gravy.  Oh man.  Those were good times.

This chicken fried steak is a bit different.  It is homemade.  It is comforting.  And it is delicious. I got the recipe from a woman I met here in Amarillo.  She grew up here and remembers having this at least once a week if not more often when she was a kid.

This is beef country, people.  A great deal of the economy depends on it.  I wake up on many mornings and can smell the feed lots when I let the dog out.  My grandpa Marvin appropriately calls it the “money smell”.  Texans love their beef, but Amarillo-ans LOVE their beef.  This may be a stereotype, but it’s a stereotype that is true and in no way negative.  Beef is good, and so is chicken fried steak.

The gravy recipe is not all hers, she admits.  She once watched an Alton Brown show where he added fresh thyme to the gravy.  Intrigued, she used it the next time she made her gravy and hasn’t gone back since.  You can’t help but love Alton Brown.  He stays true to what a dish originally was and only adds to it if it really and truly makes it better.  You wouldn’t catch him adding something weird like lavender to a chicken fried steak gravy, but I am sure some ridiculous chef out there has.

Cheryl wasn’t very specific in her measurements, but I think it all turned out OK.  I am a big fan of recipe following, so the term “some flour” kinda freaks me out.  But really when you think about it, the ingredients in chicken fried steak are simple and do not require a lot of measuring.  If it sticks to the steak, then that’s how much you need.  If there are naked spots, then you need more.  Pretty easy.

I served this with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.  A few slices of buttered Texas toast would have been a good idea, but I was not quite on top of things enough to get Texas toast when I was at the grocery store.

Here is Cheryl’s recipe for the steaks and Alton Brown’s Gravy.

Cheryl’s Chicken Fried Steak
  • 4 pieces of tenderized round steak, pounded thin
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2-3 eggs, beaten
  • vegetable oil
  1. Whisk the flour, salt and pepper in a large, wide dish.
  2. Whisk the eggs in a seperate large wide dish.
  3. Dredge steaks in flour, then eggs, then flour once more.
  4. Let the steaks sit for a few minutes while you heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium high heat.
  5. Cook steaks in oil for about 5 minutes, flip and cook for about 3 minutes more.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 200° oven while you cook the remaining steaks.
Alton’s Creamy Gravy
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. After cooking the steaks, heat the remaining cooking oil and tasty bits left over medium heat.
  2. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging.
  3. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan.
  4. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken.
  5. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. S
  6. eason to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

Dinner Rush: Chorizo and Black Bean Mexican Tortas

I have too many cooking magazines, too many cookbooks, and way too many printed recipes from various websites.  Even if I were to cook something from one of these sources everyday, there is no possible way that I could exhaust my recipe stockpile in my lifetime.  I don’t help the situation by buying more cookbooks, more magazines, and printing more website recipes.  I’ll admit it, I have a problem.  Progress is being made, though.  I did find a recipe in the September issue of Food & Wine magazine yesterday that I made for dinner last night.  I didn’t just mark it with a sticky note or tear the page out as something I’ll make someday.  I MADE it, and we ate it, and it was yummy.

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